All posts tagged: 1930s

What shall I wear to Windy Lindy 2010?

Last year I got your input on a costume for the big Wellington swing event.  And you have seen the Dorothy costume from the year before.  So of course I need your input this year too! This year the theme is ‘Puttin on the Ritz’. Woohoo!  Right up my alley! Unfortunately, I’ve decided that 1) I should be good and finish all the projects I have started already rather than making something new, and 2) I already own enough fabulous 1930s-esque evening gowns anyway. Blast.  I really, really wanted an excuse to make Ginger Roger’s Night and Day dress: So, as I’m giving up this excuse in favour of practicality, which of my (gorgeous, but not quite as gorgeous as that dress) 1930s evening dresses should I wear? Any of these can be dolled up with fab accessories and fabric flowers up the wazoo. Yes, it’s my wedding dress.  And yes, I firmly believe I should wear my wedding dress as often as possible.  I could add garlands of fabric flowers ’round the neck and …

Rate the Dress: Meet me in St Louis (Judy Garland’s party dress)

Last week so many of you loved the unusually cut and coloured 1750s robe a la anglaise that it rated a 9 out of 10. Some interesting questions were raised about the dress.  Was it displayed on a too-small mannequin?  Was intended to be a pregnancy frock that adapted with the size of the wearer?  Was it made by an amateur dressmaker who couldn’t make it symmetrical? This week won’t raise any of that sort of questions, because we know a lot about the dress in question.  Remember the party that the Smith’s house in Meet Me In St Louis? Judy Garland, as the teenage Esther, attempts to romance the neighbor boy while wearing a memorable tassel trimmed ensemble, which may or may not have been blue and yellow, depending on how much you believe the colourist. UPDATE: Now with a video clip, so you can see the context and rate the dress in motion.  Apologies for the dreadfully un-PC song! What do you think of 1944 doing 1904?  Does Judy deserve a ribbon for …

Shoe happiness

I have a fatal attraction to brown shoes. I blame it on Marlene Dietrich.  She advised wearing shoes the same colour as your legs to make your legs look longer, and since my legs are basically brown, I’m seriously into brown shoes. Brown shoes are also more historical and vintage appropriate than black shoes, at least for my favourite periods. These are my two latest brown shoe acquisitions. The first pair is a modern shoe, by Neo of Spain.  They are super comfortable, and delightfully vintage in aesthetic.  I need more 1930s inspired dresses to wear with them! I found them on sale right after I passed a personal milestone – they were my reward for the milestone. My second shoe acquisition is a pair of 1970s Clarks, made in England.  They make my feet look tiny.  I found them at my favourite thrift shop. While they are 1970s, they also look perfectly 1930s.  I definitely see where my spring 2010 wardrobe is heading!